Group Says Dr. Laura And Media Companies Must Be Held Accountable WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following is a statement from Kathy Times, President of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) on the recent criticism of conservative talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger for using a racial slur on the talk show: I will never forget the first time I was called the n-word. In fact, a young white man in Alabama hit me with a double dose of hate and called me a n—– b—-. It was 2002. It was my first day on a new job as an investigative reporter. It took a few seconds for the full impact of the slur to hit me. Then, it felt like I’d been sucker punched in the gut. I can imagine that is how the African-American caller felt when she and other listeners heard Dr. Laura Schlessinger use the n-word 11 times. . . taken aback, shocked, and speechless. When will people learn it’s never OK to use the n-word, no matter how many times it is uttered in the name of entertainment, sarcasm or disgust?  Instead of helping one of her callers, Dr. Laura chose to go on a tirade that appeared to reveal deep-rooted thoughts on politics and black America. Dr. Laura apologized for using the offensive language. She does not have the right to use racial slurs on public airwaves. She says she will not do radio anymore, but there are deeper issues that must be addressed by the company that syndicates her show – Premiere Radio Networks. Why wait until the next on-air personality slips up?   Is it time for the n-word and other racial epithets to be added to the list of seven dirty words (made famous by comedian George Carlin)?  The use of those words hit broadcasters where it hurts them most – on the bottom line with fines and lost advertising revenue.   But the fear of losing ad dollars should not be the only reason to end this era of hate on the public’s airwaves.   It is past time for a movement to address “Talk Show Hate. ” As the president of the National Association of Black Journalists, my goal is not to change the inherent mindset of provocateurs and consumers of any controversial media platform, but instead to lead the charge in forums that educate those who dare to think for themselves. I believe most people are open to embracing people of all races based on the content of their character.  We invite Dr. Laura and Premiere Radio Networks to join us in a conversation leading to change in the public discourse, which both embraces their right to free speech and our desire to end the use of racial slurs and epithets on the public’s airwaves. By the way, that young white man who called me those terrible names eventually apologized and gave me an interview. I accepted the apology, but I’ll never forget the venomous sting that my ancestors must have felt when their slave masters conjured up the n-word. SOURCE National Association of Black Journalists

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Sarah Palin has used Twitter to share some advice with Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the talk radio host who apologized and decided to retire from her highly-rated program after using the N-word on the air 11 times in 5 minutes.

Palin’s advice: “don’t retreat. . . reload!”

It’s a breathtakingly tone-deaf bit of provocation — even by Palin’s standards.

Dr. Laura, as she’s known on her radio program, quickly came under fire for her remarks of a week ago. She immediately acknowledged the mistake and soon announced that she would end the show once her contract expires later this year. She currently commands the largest audience of any woman in syndicated talk radio and overall her ratings are among the top five hosts in the nation.

Palin, once the governor of Alaska and Republican nominee for vice president in 2008, has been using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to push her messages in recent months. She fired out two messages about Dr. Laura on Wednesday night, the first reading:

Dr. Laura:don’t retreat. . . reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend. rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence”isn’t American,not fair”)

That was quickly followed by:

Dr. Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitutional obstructionists. And b thankful 4 her voice,America!

(Screengrabs of the tweets are below. )

The response was immediate and furious.

Joan Walsh, writing on Salon, pointed out that Palin was tweeting about feminists just hours before “embracing the anti-feminist traditional-values preacher Dr. Laura. ” (Incidentally, Dr. Laura was never a big fan of Palin. ) Walsh then went after the sentiment and historical context of Palin’s latest comments:

It’s scary to think we just had a vice presidential nominee who doesn’t understand the Constitution, who thinks Schlessinger’s First Amendment rights “ceased 2exist” because she was criticized for haranguing a black woman who called for advice, using the word “nigger” 11 times. Again, Gov. Palin, the First Amendment protects us from government infringing on our speech rights; it doesn’t take away other Americans’ right to criticize.

This isn’t the first time a Palin tweet related to the First Amendment has generated controversy. Last month, she called on Muslims to “refudiate” Park 51’s construction of Cordoba House, the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque. ”

That was followed by a series of tweets directed toward President Barack Obama, acknowledging that the Muslim group has the right to build . . . “but should they?”

Palin acknowledged Park 51’s rights. She acknowledged Dr. Laura’s rights. She questioned Park 51’s wisdom. So far, she hasn’t questioned Dr. Laura’s wisdom.

Dr. Laura’s actions — ending her show — may have said more than Palin’s words. And maybe even “refudiated” them.

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Want to talk to Lindsay Lohan about her time behind bars and in rehab?Well, it’s going to cost you a boatload of cash. A million dollars to be exact. The
Mean Girl’s star is reportedly seeking the gigantic payday for her
first post-prison interview but that’s not the only way Lindsay’s
looking to capitalize on her jail time. . . According to the
Hollywood Reporter, she’s also increasing her appearance fees from
anywhere between twenty-five thousand and a hundred thousand dollars. And
Lindsay could be cashing those checks sooner than thought now that
doctors at UCLA medical center, where she’s undergoing treatment, have
recommended her for an early release. Who ever said crime doesn’t pay, didn’t know any celebrities.

Faster

Want to talk to Lindsay Lohan about her time behind bars and in rehab?Well, it’s going to cost you a boatload of cash. A million dollars to be exact. The
Mean Girl’s star is reportedly seeking the gigantic payday for her
first post-prison interview but that’s not the only way Lindsay’s
looking to capitalize on her jail time. . . According to the
Hollywood Reporter, she’s also increasing her appearance fees from
anywhere between twenty-five thousand and a hundred thousand dollars. And
Lindsay could be cashing those checks sooner than thought now that
doctors at UCLA medical center, where she’s undergoing treatment, have
recommended her for an early release. Who ever said crime doesn’t pay, didn’t know any celebrities.

Faster

Sarah Palin has used Twitter to share some advice with Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the talk radio host who apologized and decided to retire from her highly-rated program after using the N-word on the air 11 times in 5 minutes.

Palin’s advice: “don’t retreat. . . reload!”

It’s a breathtakingly tone-deaf bit of provocation — even by Palin’s standards.

Dr. Laura, as she’s known on her radio program, quickly came under fire for her remarks of a week ago. She immediately acknowledged the mistake and soon announced that she would end the show once her contract expires later this year. She currently commands the largest audience of any woman in syndicated talk radio and overall her ratings are among the top five hosts in the nation.

Palin, once the governor of Alaska and Republican nominee for vice president in 2008, has been using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to push her messages in recent months. She fired out two messages about Dr. Laura on Wednesday night, the first reading:

Dr. Laura:don’t retreat. . . reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend. rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence”isn’t American,not fair”)

That was quickly followed by:

Dr. Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitutional obstructionists. And b thankful 4 her voice,America!

(Screengrabs of the tweets are below. )

The response was immediate and furious.

Joan Walsh, writing on Salon, pointed out that Palin was tweeting about feminists just hours before “embracing the anti-feminist traditional-values preacher Dr. Laura. ” (Incidentally, Dr. Laura was never a big fan of Palin. ) Walsh then went after the sentiment and historical context of Palin’s latest comments:

It’s scary to think we just had a vice presidential nominee who doesn’t understand the Constitution, who thinks Schlessinger’s First Amendment rights “ceased 2exist” because she was criticized for haranguing a black woman who called for advice, using the word “nigger” 11 times. Again, Gov. Palin, the First Amendment protects us from government infringing on our speech rights; it doesn’t take away other Americans’ right to criticize.

This isn’t the first time a Palin tweet related to the First Amendment has generated controversy. Last month, she called on Muslims to “refudiate” Park 51’s construction of Cordoba House, the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque. ”

That was followed by a series of tweets directed toward President Barack Obama, acknowledging that the Muslim group has the right to build . . . “but should they?”

Palin acknowledged Park 51’s rights. She acknowledged Dr. Laura’s rights. She questioned Park 51’s wisdom. So far, she hasn’t questioned Dr. Laura’s wisdom.

Dr. Laura’s actions — ending her show — may have said more than Palin’s words. And maybe even “refudiated” them.

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By Simon “The Hoop”Fans of the Portland Trail Blazers have always had an irrational love for Rudy Fernandez. The athletic shooting guard has started a total of six games for the franchise over the last two seasons, yet the fan base will spontaneously unite and cry out in unison if any jabs whatsoever are thrown in the Spaniard’s direction. A great example of this irresponsible passion occurred in the my early days of Twitter, when Rudy was caught from behind on a fast break attempt by then-Laker Trevor Ariza back in March of 2009. It was a flagrant foul to be sure, but Blazer fans wanted blood, and I tried to be the voice of reason in defense of Ariza and the Lakers. You can guess how that went down, and in fact, I think I’m still blocked from following @blazersedge on Twitter to this day because of the events of that night. In any case, this is somewhat worthwhile in bringing up today, as Fernandez (via his agent Andy Miller) seems to be done with the Blazers and the NBA, and is ready to return to Europe, for a variety of reasons. Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. com interviewed Miller, and along with some other tidbits, published this quote which pretty much sums up the situation between Fernandez and the Blazers. “The impression I’m getting more and more is that he’s lost interest in playing in the NBA, quite frankly,” Miller said. “It’s my impression that Rudy would prefer to be in Europe rather than the NBA at this point. “Ouch. So, whether it’s playing time, role on the team, or something else entirely, it appears as though Fernandez will not be back in Portland next season. I’m sure that’s distressing on some level to Blazers’ fans, but fear not: you still have the return of Greg Oden to look forward to, which should be more than adequate in terms of a reason to be completely underwhelmed and disappointed in your favorite team next season. source : nba. fanhouse. com

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By Simon “The Hoop”Fans of the Portland Trail Blazers have always had an irrational love for Rudy Fernandez. The athletic shooting guard has started a total of six games for the franchise over the last two seasons, yet the fan base will spontaneously unite and cry out in unison if any jabs whatsoever are thrown in the Spaniard’s direction. A great example of this irresponsible passion occurred in the my early days of Twitter, when Rudy was caught from behind on a fast break attempt by then-Laker Trevor Ariza back in March of 2009. It was a flagrant foul to be sure, but Blazer fans wanted blood, and I tried to be the voice of reason in defense of Ariza and the Lakers. You can guess how that went down, and in fact, I think I’m still blocked from following @blazersedge on Twitter to this day because of the events of that night. In any case, this is somewhat worthwhile in bringing up today, as Fernandez (via his agent Andy Miller) seems to be done with the Blazers and the NBA, and is ready to return to Europe, for a variety of reasons. Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. com interviewed Miller, and along with some other tidbits, published this quote which pretty much sums up the situation between Fernandez and the Blazers. “The impression I’m getting more and more is that he’s lost interest in playing in the NBA, quite frankly,” Miller said. “It’s my impression that Rudy would prefer to be in Europe rather than the NBA at this point. “Ouch. So, whether it’s playing time, role on the team, or something else entirely, it appears as though Fernandez will not be back in Portland next season. I’m sure that’s distressing on some level to Blazers’ fans, but fear not: you still have the return of Greg Oden to look forward to, which should be more than adequate in terms of a reason to be completely underwhelmed and disappointed in your favorite team next season. source : nba. fanhouse. com

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Jennifer Hudson has gone from reality star novice to a certified diva. Take a look at the singer through the years and check out her ever-changing style.  

Faster

Sarah Palin has used Twitter to share some advice with Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the talk radio host who apologized and decided to retire from her highly-rated program after using the N-word on the air 11 times in 5 minutes.

Palin’s advice: “don’t retreat. . . reload!”

It’s a breathtakingly tone-deaf bit of provocation — even by Palin’s standards.

Dr. Laura, as she’s known on her radio program, quickly came under fire for her remarks of a week ago. She immediately acknowledged the mistake and soon announced that she would end the show once her contract expires later this year. She currently commands the largest audience of any woman in syndicated talk radio and overall her ratings are among the top five hosts in the nation.

Palin, once the governor of Alaska and Republican nominee for vice president in 2008, has been using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to push her messages in recent months. She fired out two messages about Dr. Laura on Wednesday night, the first reading:

Dr. Laura:don’t retreat. . . reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend. rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence”isn’t American,not fair”)

That was quickly followed by:

Dr. Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitutional obstructionists. And b thankful 4 her voice,America!

(Screengrabs of the tweets are below. )

The response was immediate and furious.

Joan Walsh, writing on Salon, pointed out that Palin was tweeting about feminists just hours before “embracing the anti-feminist traditional-values preacher Dr. Laura. ” (Incidentally, Dr. Laura was never a big fan of Palin. ) Walsh then went after the sentiment and historical context of Palin’s latest comments:

It’s scary to think we just had a vice presidential nominee who doesn’t understand the Constitution, who thinks Schlessinger’s First Amendment rights “ceased 2exist” because she was criticized for haranguing a black woman who called for advice, using the word “nigger” 11 times. Again, Gov. Palin, the First Amendment protects us from government infringing on our speech rights; it doesn’t take away other Americans’ right to criticize.

This isn’t the first time a Palin tweet related to the First Amendment has generated controversy. Last month, she called on Muslims to “refudiate” Park 51’s construction of Cordoba House, the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque. ”

That was followed by a series of tweets directed toward President Barack Obama, acknowledging that the Muslim group has the right to build . . . “but should they?”

Palin acknowledged Park 51’s rights. She acknowledged Dr. Laura’s rights. She questioned Park 51’s wisdom. So far, she hasn’t questioned Dr. Laura’s wisdom.

Dr. Laura’s actions — ending her show — may have said more than Palin’s words. And maybe even “refudiated” them.

Faster

By Simon “The Hoop”Fans of the Portland Trail Blazers have always had an irrational love for Rudy Fernandez. The athletic shooting guard has started a total of six games for the franchise over the last two seasons, yet the fan base will spontaneously unite and cry out in unison if any jabs whatsoever are thrown in the Spaniard’s direction. A great example of this irresponsible passion occurred in the my early days of Twitter, when Rudy was caught from behind on a fast break attempt by then-Laker Trevor Ariza back in March of 2009. It was a flagrant foul to be sure, but Blazer fans wanted blood, and I tried to be the voice of reason in defense of Ariza and the Lakers. You can guess how that went down, and in fact, I think I’m still blocked from following @blazersedge on Twitter to this day because of the events of that night. In any case, this is somewhat worthwhile in bringing up today, as Fernandez (via his agent Andy Miller) seems to be done with the Blazers and the NBA, and is ready to return to Europe, for a variety of reasons. Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. com interviewed Miller, and along with some other tidbits, published this quote which pretty much sums up the situation between Fernandez and the Blazers. “The impression I’m getting more and more is that he’s lost interest in playing in the NBA, quite frankly,” Miller said. “It’s my impression that Rudy would prefer to be in Europe rather than the NBA at this point. “Ouch. So, whether it’s playing time, role on the team, or something else entirely, it appears as though Fernandez will not be back in Portland next season. I’m sure that’s distressing on some level to Blazers’ fans, but fear not: you still have the return of Greg Oden to look forward to, which should be more than adequate in terms of a reason to be completely underwhelmed and disappointed in your favorite team next season. source : nba. fanhouse. com

Faster

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart seem to be getting more and more comfortable with their relationship making no secret of their arrival to LAX after a long weekend in Montreal where Kristen is currently filming. They may not look happy, but at least they’re not hiding.   Take a look at the infamously private couple through the years in our photo gallery below.  

Faster

Sarah Palin has used Twitter to share some advice with Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the talk radio host who apologized and decided to retire from her highly-rated program after using the N-word on the air 11 times in 5 minutes.

Palin’s advice: “don’t retreat. . . reload!”

It’s a breathtakingly tone-deaf bit of provocation — even by Palin’s standards.

Dr. Laura, as she’s known on her radio program, quickly came under fire for her remarks of a week ago. She immediately acknowledged the mistake and soon announced that she would end the show once her contract expires later this year. She currently commands the largest audience of any woman in syndicated talk radio and overall her ratings are among the top five hosts in the nation.

Palin, once the governor of Alaska and Republican nominee for vice president in 2008, has been using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to push her messages in recent months. She fired out two messages about Dr. Laura on Wednesday night, the first reading:

Dr. Laura:don’t retreat. . . reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend. rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence”isn’t American,not fair”)

That was quickly followed by:

Dr. Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitutional obstructionists. And b thankful 4 her voice,America!

(Screengrabs of the tweets are below. )

The response was immediate and furious.

Joan Walsh, writing on Salon, pointed out that Palin was tweeting about feminists just hours before “embracing the anti-feminist traditional-values preacher Dr. Laura. ” (Incidentally, Dr. Laura was never a big fan of Palin. ) Walsh then went after the sentiment and historical context of Palin’s latest comments:

It’s scary to think we just had a vice presidential nominee who doesn’t understand the Constitution, who thinks Schlessinger’s First Amendment rights “ceased 2exist” because she was criticized for haranguing a black woman who called for advice, using the word “nigger” 11 times. Again, Gov. Palin, the First Amendment protects us from government infringing on our speech rights; it doesn’t take away other Americans’ right to criticize.

This isn’t the first time a Palin tweet related to the First Amendment has generated controversy. Last month, she called on Muslims to “refudiate” Park 51’s construction of Cordoba House, the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque. ”

That was followed by a series of tweets directed toward President Barack Obama, acknowledging that the Muslim group has the right to build . . . “but should they?”

Palin acknowledged Park 51’s rights. She acknowledged Dr. Laura’s rights. She questioned Park 51’s wisdom. So far, she hasn’t questioned Dr. Laura’s wisdom.

Dr. Laura’s actions — ending her show — may have said more than Palin’s words. And maybe even “refudiated” them.

Faster

By Simon “The Hoop”Fans of the Portland Trail Blazers have always had an irrational love for Rudy Fernandez. The athletic shooting guard has started a total of six games for the franchise over the last two seasons, yet the fan base will spontaneously unite and cry out in unison if any jabs whatsoever are thrown in the Spaniard’s direction. A great example of this irresponsible passion occurred in the my early days of Twitter, when Rudy was caught from behind on a fast break attempt by then-Laker Trevor Ariza back in March of 2009. It was a flagrant foul to be sure, but Blazer fans wanted blood, and I tried to be the voice of reason in defense of Ariza and the Lakers. You can guess how that went down, and in fact, I think I’m still blocked from following @blazersedge on Twitter to this day because of the events of that night. In any case, this is somewhat worthwhile in bringing up today, as Fernandez (via his agent Andy Miller) seems to be done with the Blazers and the NBA, and is ready to return to Europe, for a variety of reasons. Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. com interviewed Miller, and along with some other tidbits, published this quote which pretty much sums up the situation between Fernandez and the Blazers. “The impression I’m getting more and more is that he’s lost interest in playing in the NBA, quite frankly,” Miller said. “It’s my impression that Rudy would prefer to be in Europe rather than the NBA at this point. “Ouch. So, whether it’s playing time, role on the team, or something else entirely, it appears as though Fernandez will not be back in Portland next season. I’m sure that’s distressing on some level to Blazers’ fans, but fear not: you still have the return of Greg Oden to look forward to, which should be more than adequate in terms of a reason to be completely underwhelmed and disappointed in your favorite team next season. source : nba. fanhouse. com

Faster

A lovely looking Jennifer Aniston arrives at Good Morning America in Times Square today to promote her new film The Switch.

Faster

Sarah Palin has used Twitter to share some advice with Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the talk radio host who apologized and decided to retire from her highly-rated program after using the N-word on the air 11 times in 5 minutes.

Palin’s advice: “don’t retreat. . . reload!”

It’s a breathtakingly tone-deaf bit of provocation — even by Palin’s standards.

Dr. Laura, as she’s known on her radio program, quickly came under fire for her remarks of a week ago. She immediately acknowledged the mistake and soon announced that she would end the show once her contract expires later this year. She currently commands the largest audience of any woman in syndicated talk radio and overall her ratings are among the top five hosts in the nation.

Palin, once the governor of Alaska and Republican nominee for vice president in 2008, has been using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to push her messages in recent months. She fired out two messages about Dr. Laura on Wednesday night, the first reading:

Dr. Laura:don’t retreat. . . reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend. rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence”isn’t American,not fair”)

That was quickly followed by:

Dr. Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitutional obstructionists. And b thankful 4 her voice,America!

(Screengrabs of the tweets are below. )

The response was immediate and furious.

Joan Walsh, writing on Salon, pointed out that Palin was tweeting about feminists just hours before “embracing the anti-feminist traditional-values preacher Dr. Laura. ” (Incidentally, Dr. Laura was never a big fan of Palin. ) Walsh then went after the sentiment and historical context of Palin’s latest comments:

It’s scary to think we just had a vice presidential nominee who doesn’t understand the Constitution, who thinks Schlessinger’s First Amendment rights “ceased 2exist” because she was criticized for haranguing a black woman who called for advice, using the word “nigger” 11 times. Again, Gov. Palin, the First Amendment protects us from government infringing on our speech rights; it doesn’t take away other Americans’ right to criticize.

This isn’t the first time a Palin tweet related to the First Amendment has generated controversy. Last month, she called on Muslims to “refudiate” Park 51’s construction of Cordoba House, the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque. ”

That was followed by a series of tweets directed toward President Barack Obama, acknowledging that the Muslim group has the right to build . . . “but should they?”

Palin acknowledged Park 51’s rights. She acknowledged Dr. Laura’s rights. She questioned Park 51’s wisdom. So far, she hasn’t questioned Dr. Laura’s wisdom.

Dr. Laura’s actions — ending her show — may have said more than Palin’s words. And maybe even “refudiated” them.

Faster

By Simon “The Hoop”Fans of the Portland Trail Blazers have always had an irrational love for Rudy Fernandez. The athletic shooting guard has started a total of six games for the franchise over the last two seasons, yet the fan base will spontaneously unite and cry out in unison if any jabs whatsoever are thrown in the Spaniard’s direction. A great example of this irresponsible passion occurred in the my early days of Twitter, when Rudy was caught from behind on a fast break attempt by then-Laker Trevor Ariza back in March of 2009. It was a flagrant foul to be sure, but Blazer fans wanted blood, and I tried to be the voice of reason in defense of Ariza and the Lakers. You can guess how that went down, and in fact, I think I’m still blocked from following @blazersedge on Twitter to this day because of the events of that night. In any case, this is somewhat worthwhile in bringing up today, as Fernandez (via his agent Andy Miller) seems to be done with the Blazers and the NBA, and is ready to return to Europe, for a variety of reasons. Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. com interviewed Miller, and along with some other tidbits, published this quote which pretty much sums up the situation between Fernandez and the Blazers. “The impression I’m getting more and more is that he’s lost interest in playing in the NBA, quite frankly,” Miller said. “It’s my impression that Rudy would prefer to be in Europe rather than the NBA at this point. “Ouch. So, whether it’s playing time, role on the team, or something else entirely, it appears as though Fernandez will not be back in Portland next season. I’m sure that’s distressing on some level to Blazers’ fans, but fear not: you still have the return of Greg Oden to look forward to, which should be more than adequate in terms of a reason to be completely underwhelmed and disappointed in your favorite team next season. source : nba. fanhouse. com

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